With this year’s release NBA 2K24 marks the 25th anniversary for the franchise, 2K Sports couldn’t have named a more fitting athlete to grace the cover again of an NBA 2K24 the late legendary Kobe Bryant. Nothing short of the dominance that 2K has held over the Basketball simulation games spanning over a generation. We have only seen the best of the best and what we have grown up to know as the ONLY Basketball simulation game on the market. Available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Making this release extra special 2K have created some incredible gameplay advancements with NBA 2K24. Introducing ProPLAY, they’ve delivered the most realistic gameplay in the history of the franchise for a truly authentic on-court experience. ProPLAY delivers animations and movements via on-court NBA action for the most realistic NBA 2K gameplay to date. Instead of relying on actor performances using motion capture, ProPLAY sources animations from natural movements and plays that only exist in real NBA games when the “W” is on the line and emotions are high. From jump shots and layups, to dunks and dribble moves, ProPLAY has captured your favorite players showcasing their moves at peak performance in real gametime moments.
I can speak very loudly to this new in-game mechanic creating a smoother feel and transition when playing a pickup game into an NBA finals Game 7 when there is 20 seconds to go, and you need to be clutch. From previous releases, it’s very fluid and can make all the difference when the driving layup animation very is different from Kyrie driving through traffic and Lebron paving the way for a monstrous slam.
Along with ProPlay they have revamped interior defense and dribble combo controls for more rewarding skill-based actions and effectiveness. When it comes to offense, shooting and dribbling are more accessible and intuitive, enabling players of all skill levels to flourish on the court. In order to get high percentage shots, players will need to know how to create space with their dribbling – to do that, check out Gameplay Enhancements (Click for a quick video). Director Mike Wang’s favorite new element, Dribble Breakdown. (Click for a quick video) gives you a glimpse of the difference separation can have when driving through the lane.
MAMBA MOMENTS – Bringing you back into a legacy mode called Mamba Moments mode immortalizing key moments in Kobe’s career you can re-create from a legendary 20 year career. The 62 points after 3 quarters as he went to school on the Mavericks in 2005 just after 32 mins of play. A legendary rivalry again the Celtics which Game 7 of the 2010 season didn’t disappoint looking to win back to back titles. Very fun mode to play given how crazy some of the accolades are, also a bit challenging not having played in a while just jumped straight on in. (Screenshots from in-game Xbox Series X)
The CITY – My Career mode, your goal to become the GOAT can you have a stellar career like Lebron James or Kobe Bryant? I’ve only about a week in and there is plenty of tasks to build REP and gain those fans. Chase the dreams of each and every young basketball player on and off the court gaining REP and through your stats in game and after the game with interviews. On your break take it to the streets and achieve street REP with side quests and dominate the court.
MyTEAM – My favorite mode and I play this mode more than any other MyTEAM. Opening packs and players building a team on your favorites to best suit how you play the game. Do you build a strong pick and roll team with or keep sharpshooters to hold down that perimeter? Or are you building a team of legends that have an array of abilities to cater to each legendary skill.
Alongside this update, there are even more ways value has increased across the mode and new ways to earn MTP, but first let’s break down the gem colors that will be launching within MyTEAM this year. In Season 1 (and Season 2 as well), the top rewards in MyTEAM will max out at Diamond, and there will only be a handful available in Season 1. Community feedback is being implemented with a focus on delivering the best gameplay experiences possible, while still providing a wide variety of unique cards representing players from the NBA’s past and present.
The biggest change for MyTEAM this year is all about Player Cards, specifically how you add them to your collection, and sell them when you want to get some more MTP. This year, we’re introducing the Player Market, a new market that will grant access to almost any Player Card available. However, Season, Mode, and other Player Reward Cards will still only be available by earning them.
Community feedback is in action here. In previous years, the best Player Cards in the game were only directly available through the Auction House at MTP prices that could feel unobtainable; with great budget finds coming at the detriment of the players who listed Player Cards at that price. This was far from a fair system for MyTEAM players looking to add a new or favorite Player Card to their collection, and now the Player Market replaces the Auction House with a level playing field for everyone in MyTEAM.
There is so much that has gone into this mode, I still remember how this has evolved over the years and if you have been a fan definitely this year didn’t disappoint. You don’t have to go crazy with micro-transactions to have fun with this mode go and check it out I promise it’s a lot of fun especially Domination.
MyNBA Mode – Is for those people who want to re-create some history through the lens of a GM. I haven’t dappled in this mode too much yet just scratched the surface managing teams, rosters, free agency and attributes to name a few. Something a little different this year they bring in the New Era features which bring you into the modern era, the Lebron era, Kobe Era and the Jordan era. I can see this becoming a 9-5 job 7 days a week but there definitely is a grind that I can say I’m not accustomed too but can see where some of our players can stand out and possibly on play this mode.
The “W” – Offers all new ways to pursue greatness where players can choose between becoming a college standout or a proven international player on the road to WNBA stardom. An all-new feature – “In Pursuit of Greatness” – will be added to The W this year, where players can be pitted against some of the WNBA’s most gifted stars to see how they compare to their rival.
Overall – A very solid comeback for me into NBA2K series giving me the emotion of when they introduced the Jordan challenges paying respects to the late Kobe Bryant. The shot mechanics along with defense seems to be back to days of old. The range of modes will keep you in game for a very long time. As always 2K beats flowing through each game mode and keeping your head in the game. If you haven’t got your copy, go and check it out! This is going to be HUGE!